


The wedding dance

by Dark_Earl



Series: Palpatine x Obi-Wan: Arranged marriage AU [8]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Prequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Arranged Marriage, Arranged Marriage, Dancing, M/M, Romance, obisheev
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-19
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-09 00:15:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27105589
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dark_Earl/pseuds/Dark_Earl
Summary: 33 BBY. Palpatine and Kenobi's marriage.
Relationships: Obi-Wan Kenobi & Sheev Palpatine, Obi-Wan Kenobi/Sheev Palpatine
Series: Palpatine x Obi-Wan: Arranged marriage AU [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1927522
Comments: 11
Kudos: 40





	The wedding dance

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that I'm not a native english author and this work wasn't beta'ed.
> 
> Finally! Their marriage! Here it is!!!  
> I'm so proud of my children, they finally married (*꒦ິ꒳꒦ີ)
> 
> Here is [Obi-Wan's outfit reference](https://twitter.com/dreamlixir/status/1275441350729535488).
> 
> And here is [the waltz](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQtEnEhuimg&ab_channel=alexchanure).

The maid was pinning a thin, fragile structure of gold jewelry in his hair, shaped like a halo with wings, when Palpatine appeared at the bedroom door. Obi-Wan glanced at him in the mirror. The maid, having finished with the decoration, bowed and silently left, leaving the future spouses alone.

“This thing is so fragile that I'm afraid to move my head. All the time I think it’s about to fall,” Obi-Wan said and slowly turned his head, making sure the delicate jewelry was secured enough.

“This is the traditional Naboo bride crown,” Palpatine said and stepped closer. “It is believed that when a bride goes to the altar, she should only look forward, at her future husband, and not turn her head around, staring at others. Therefore, this crown is made of thin rods of gold and is not fixed in the hair too tightly, so that the bride cannot move her head. And although the ceremony has changed since then, and the bride and groom walk to the altar together, the decoration had remained.”

“I see.”

Obi-Wan turned to face Palpatine and looked at him. He was dressed in a black suit decorated with gold embroidery patterns to match the bride's jewelry. Two wedding outfits complemented each other and looked very organic together.

"Don't forget, Obi-Wan," Sheev said seriously. "We must convince everyone that _this is a happy moment. The happiest moment of our lives._ "

“I remember,” young Kenobi chuckled. “We have rehearsed it a thousand times.”

After a short pause, he asked:

“There's a lot of people?”

“All the royal nobility of Naboo, a couple of reporters from Coruscant, your friends from Melida/Daan... I think I even saw Master Windu in the crowd. No wonder the Order sent someone.”

Obi-Wan nodded.

There was a knock on the door frame. Palpatine and Obi-Wan turned around to the sound.

“It's time to begin,” said the wedding manager. “If you're ready.”

"We're ready," Palpatine replied with a smile, and bent his left arm at the elbow. Obi-Wan put his hand on top of his and smiled back.

Together they walked slowly down the wide, bright corridor of the royal palace into the garden where the wedding ceremony was to take place.

Despite hours of preparation, memorizing the right words, and rehearsals of feigned happy smiles, Obi-Wan was very nervous. Perhaps he hadn't worried so much since he was almost 13 years old and no Jedi Master wanted to take him as Padawan. If he had stayed in the Order, then it was possible that now he would be passing the Trials of Knighthood, and Obi-Wan suddenly thought that even they should not be as difficult and important as the farce that he has to pull off.

Their plan did indeed produce the expected results. Since the engagement six months ago, many worlds have begun to show interest in Melida/Daan. Obi-Wan barely had time to organize diplomatic meetings to discuss new trade and political relations. The rating and popularity of Palpatine himself in the Republic Senate also rose, as expected. The media tirelessly went on with their biographies, their past, their relationship, and various publishers shouted about the possible political consequences of their marriage. _Everything was proceeding as they had foreseen_ , and Obi-Wan has never regretted his decision in all the time.

But now he was more nervous than ever. While their marriage was extremely politically beneficial, it would determine their future for the rest of their lives. They would have to live together, appear together everywhere... And when Palpatine would be elected Supreme Chancellor, Obi-Wan would in fact become the First Gentleman of the Republic.

Stopping in front of the mirrored doors, Palpatine changed the position of their hands, putting out his left hand palm up and resting Obi-Wan's palm on top of it. Obi-Wan gripped his fingers a little too tightly.

“Nervous?” Sheev whispered.

"A little," Obi-Wan admitted.

"Everything will be alright."

Opening himself to the Force for a moment, Obi-Wan sensed the presence of innumerable guests, from whom they were only one door apart. But Palpatine exuded absolute confidence, and Obi-Wan relaxed a little. Sighing, he created a foggy shield around them in the Force so that the curious eyes of those sensitive to the Force could not see their true emotions and to abstract themselves from the emotions of the assembled crowd.

The wedding manager in front of them slowly opened the door, letting them out onto a flat path, on either side of which were gathered guests, who immediately rose from their seats. Gentle music began to play. Obi-Wan put on a smile, and together, arm in arm, they walked towards the round fountain where the priest was waiting for them.

Stopping in front of the pontifex, they put their hands down and froze. The garden became quiet, and even the many guests seemed to hold their breath.

The priest spoke:

“Dear betrothed. Honorable guests. We are gathered here today to witness the creation of a new sacred union between two beloved. On this important day, they make a choice to tie their lives and destinies together and create a new family in order to henceforth be reliable support for each other. In the face of the Naboo gods and gods of other worlds, in the face of those gathered here, as well as in the face of the Unifying Force, the oaths you make cannot be canceled or broken. Therefore, if any of you or any man present here has any objections to this marriage, let him now speak, or else hereafter forever hold his peace.”

He paused for five seconds before Sheev and Obi-Wan turned to face each other and joined their hands. The priest wrapped a purple silk ribbon around their hands.

“Sheev Palpatine, will you take Obi-Wan Kenobi to be your lawfully wedded spouse?”

Palpatine looked Obi-Wan in the eyes and smiled.

“I will.”

“Sheev Palpatine, will you live with him according to the higher laws in sacred union, love him, honor and comfort him, in sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse?”

“I will.”

“Sheev Palpatine, will you protect your union and remain faithful to it until death do you part?”

“I will.”

The priest turned to Obi-Wan and repeated the same words of vows.

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, will you take Sheev Palpatine to be your lawfully wedded spouse?”

“I will.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, will you live with him according to the higher laws in sacred union, love him, honor and comfort him, in sickness and health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse?”

“I will.”

“Obi-Wan Kenobi, will you protect your union and remain faithful to it until death do you part?”

Looking Palpatine into his eyes, Obi-Wan suddenly wondered if he was making a mistake. Despite long deliberations, weighing all the pros and cons, getting to know his future husband more closely, and long rehearsals of the ceremony - at this final decisive moment he asked himself: what exactly was he dooming himself to?

However, it was too late to doubt. Taking a deep breath and smiling, Obi-Wan replied:

“Yes.”

The solemn bells rang.

*  
One of the traditions of the Naboo wedding was the first dance of the spouses. Obi-Wan, already without his gilded crown (he took it off immediately after the official part), slowly waltzed with Sheev to beautiful music performed by a string quartet. Before that, he managed to exchange a few words with Nield and Cerasi, who were present at the ceremony and worried about their friend even more than he himself. They knew the truth, they knew Obi-Wan did it for Melida/Daan, and they were worried about him. But Obi-Wan assured them everything was fine.

Dancing with Sheev, he distantly thought about what to do next. He would probably have to move more things to Palpatine's senatorial apartments at 500 Republica (one toothbrush wouldn’t be enough). To make a couple of public appearances in the nearest future in order to secure their image of the inseparable couple. To prepare for interviews that would surely rain down on them, starting tomorrow. Finally, to complete negotiations with the Republic regarding trade conditions with the planets of the Middle Rim.

Obi-Wan found himself thinking not at all what he should be thinking during his wedding waltz. Although... What should real loving couples think about at their wedding?

Nield and Cerasi were worried that Obi-Wan was condemning himself to live with someone he didn’t love, but this was not entirely true. Love alone was never the deciding factor in any marriage. When two people get married, they must decide for themselves what their life would be like. Obi-Wan and Palpatine spent considerable time negotiating before reaching an agreement that would suit both. These negotiations laid the foundation for their relationship.

Emotions were secondary. Obi-Wan thought with irony that if Master Yoda suddenly heard his thoughts, he would certainly praise him for such a Jedi detachment.

However, considering that they would have to live together for many years, Obi-Wan decided that moving their relationship from a purely business-like to a more romantic one might be a good strategy. Since they have to pretend to the public that they infinitely love each other, why not try to really love each other?

When the waltz was over, Sheev and Obi-Wan bowed to each other to general applause. Obi-Wan chuckled.

Just as appetite comes with eating, so love can come with marriage.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, the Jedi Order sent Mace to the wedding, and he was the very Force-sensitive who would try to fumble for the sincerity of all this, but Obi-Wan shielded himself with the fog in the Force for a reason (Palpatine, by the way, for his part, did the same).
> 
> You may ask how Obi-Wan knows that Palpatine will be elected Chancellor. Because they actually discussed it in their negotiations.


End file.
